- Safiu Kehinde
Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has broken silence over alleged shutdown of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other oil companies in the state.
The governor had, in a statement issued on Thursday by the state’s Commissioner of Information and Communications, Warisenibo Johnson, denied the alleged action which he labelled as ‘false’ and ‘concocted propaganda’.
Sequel to a Federal High Court ruling barring the disbursement of monthly Federal allocation to Rivers state, reports have emerged on the alleged shutdown of oil companies by Fubara in a retaliation move.
However, the governor has debunked the report, reaffirming his commitment and adherence to the rule of law.
He urged the public to discountenance the spurious and fake report as he never issued the directive.
The statement read in part; “The attention of Rivers State Government has been drawn to a spurious news item circulating on social media on “Gov. Siminalayi Fubara shutting down NNPCL and all oil companies in Rivers State”.
“The report was not only false, but a concocted propaganda from the imagination of the author and enemies of the State.
“The story was also circulated by an inconsequential and unverified medium.
“Governor Siminalayi Fubara is committed to the rule of law and does not rely on unconventional and crude approaches to respond to matters of governance.
“We therefore enjoin Rivers people and well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance the spurious and fake report as Governor Fubara at no time contemplated and/or directed such needless order of shutting down the economy for any reason.”